Coupler



Jan. 20, 1931. w. RICHARD-S COUPLER 2 Sheets-Sheet l Filed May 6, 1926 [III .lllll4 Jan. 20, 1931. w. F. RICHARDS 1,789,659

COUPLER Filed May 6, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 /6 "lllm 7 morees'pecially, tq cofiplersfhavingi v itsprihcip'alpbject I w -1 coupler having positive control of the; l0c k-' Pwith'rtgspecfl. to ppsition end bperation; 1

I ly i 1 ke jpbs t and w NW??? the block from' becemihgdisplacedineervlc.

Q j thethead to direct;

" I one effwhlch performs ("P171 f. norloss in strength; i x V Thpoughoutthe sp :4 gferredtform of thefinventionend Apblipefien med}- my .1. (se i; 167,150;

This inventien relates to eervc oqplex e ainjd e y m in ra ity u fi pck.

'provide Another ectris iriah 5 i hin i01 a p eve v r c id splac m i Y \m n y'c' l d: eping:

- w A v a le ur fimy ilw nt zll: 1. fih-e "emp ymen bf Qk ng l9 -QII Pi$ 'iw'o interlocking segments a I n 7 H 'n iarily f tion' of a guide, the ethrbfwhi that; h "locking ,iI-nfth'e 'eccompanying drewing sg fqrm lng minimum height; QThis b king blag (p t-0 thespe fic ti @a pted to op ra tl awe of g n e v Figure 1 is a View in ver t u'clinal era llyfriec tahgulari ross seetib n' fcnmdlby f1 lie- 3111 1 Vi: L

lei engce charaeters. v

tical @seqtipn of ajc'oupler hejad embddyihg;

the locking wall l-i; the'P-fealr inner 11415; on lthe 1111 v the parts ing loizked relation.

VI I160 construction. Segment "7, is also provided with a projection or rib adapted to operate in the recessv behind the intermediate guide ribs 11 extendin from the inner side wall l ito assistin gui inglthe locking block in' its vertical motion. T I ofthe segment 7 may be extended to form I e Wedge shaped projection 13 of the floor of thehead, to seat the block in locked position a ainst the. rear inner wall- 7 I of thehea-d. T e projection 10 maysbe bevelled at the corner l4 tocooperatewith the inclined portion ofthe head toseat the 1 13'andI1 5 not onl. holds vth'e' blocksecurely I locking blockwithin the-head With a correlock a ainst the inner side of the locking all e wedging action of inclined faces v fin locked position u't operates to take up the necessarv clearance between operating parts,

" i "engaging'portions'of' the lockingb requiredi'by economical manufacturing;

bloc

at 10 with the guide rib 11 and the I: or becoming displaced by the .impactlof two the block-7 a't sui fieien theight abate-{he'- oor 1 h "h ad 'topr'qv d f p toe q me I -"date cinders'f weather particles which might I jotherivise interfere with the proper 'sez itii g '35 The segmenti 7P" "or"'locking, block 'ofthe a locking means preferably pivote'ditothe j nne v bfi. ent s h t v o a v y te ds t SW g' h g ne 'YP a n t [the locking wan 1.' In addition thesegment 7" may be provided with a seat 16130 receive ijtheupperendjof the knuckle opener 6 which, 7 s fonthe lifting of the block, operates to "swing ;the se f ent Thagainst the lookingwall '1? V and ;e ect the ositive "engagement of fthe corner 17 witht e lock-set ledge 18 .irrespective of the action'of gravity, thereby "over-Q Looming a ,dificult'y pnoti infrequently J e' n-f Qoountered i-n' gcoupler's employing jgravity I solely to effect the lock-set position; I "the locking. block is further lifted, :the?

ofthefblock in lockposition; r

' knucklelopener is actuated to movethe tail towards the guard arm side ofthe headand rangedethaton' the openin of thek'nuckle the tail willflift the block I ledgejl 8 and-on the 'closing of the knuckle, as a {in coupling, the tail will drag the locking away from I the look-setledge and, su' ,l j portflthe block 7 until. disengaged, tvhereon the lock will drop into its seat in looked position. Referring to Figure 3, it will :be noted that the segment 7? i s'iwedgefl shaped with an inclined "locking face 19 adapted to p tol'op e n the knucklein the usual manner. N

The lockingblock 7 and the tail 4 arejsoap from the l ock s et The 1 j I, I I I ottom pro-- j'ection 12, withthe floor projection 13,' Ifurtherop'erateto revent theblock from swing- "in'goutbeyon theface of the coupler and I interfering with the lock-setting function, I

cooperate with the undercutlocking face 5 of the knuckle tail so that the movement of the providedrwith a1receSsQOfadaptedto provide means21. V i v v I 1 ,The improvements embodied in this invention as describedhave proven their value in actual manufacture and use and the resultlng coupler, is compact, strong and posi'tive'in aclknuckle while the car is in motion will con stantly tend to reseat the locking blcck'and prevent creeping. "The guide ribs 11 are is side'pro ec'tion additional space 'for the hook oi the lifting tion, The parts are relatively large, simple in ii'o'rmiand"easy to make. The compensating action of the inclined faces 13' and 15 en- I sures proper seating of the blockat all times and {reduces materially. the motion of the 'spondingmaterialreduction in: wear. I

7 Having now described-mywinvention, What 'Iclaimis:--- I I .In' a car coupler, thecombination-With I a draw heetdhaving; a pivotedknuelzle, of locking meansf therefor comprising a locking block'and a guide block pivotally connected,

means actuatedby saiddockinglblocli for opening said knuckle,fcooperating ribs" on .said' head and guide block for maintaining said locking means from movement longitudinally; of said head and cooperating means on said knuckle and said" locking block for normally maintaining' said locking means against vertical creeping L, 1

2.1 a'cai' co'upler, the combination with a draw head havin'g a pivoted knuckle, of lockmg means therefor comprising a locking blockanda'guide block pivotally connected, I

said locking block for means actuat'ed big I le,'cooperat'1ng means on opening said knuc fjs'aid head and guide block for maintaining S2t1dlOGk1Dg m8lI1S from movement longitudinally offsaid head-and cooperating Wedg- :ing means on said head and said guide block to directsaid'locking'means against the rear inner wall an'd'a side inner wall of saidhead.

3. 'In a car'coupler, the 'eombination with a drawhead havinga pivoted'knuckle, of locking means therefor comprising a. looking no I block andfa guide blockpivotally connected,

means actuated by said locking block for opening said knuckle, cooperating inclined means on sa1d head and said guide blocli to direct said locking'meansagainst the rear inner wall anda-side inner Wall of said'head and cooperating means ons'aid knuckle and said locking block for normally. maintaining said locking means against vertical creeping.

4; Injaicar coupler, the combination With a vdraw head h'avingfa pivoted knuckle, of

locking means therefor comprising a locking -blo'ckand guide block pivotally connected,

cooperating means onjsaidhead'and guide block for maintaining said locking j means from movement longitudinally ofsaid head,

cooperating means on said head and guide 401 w v wall of the-head, when s'ai gde'vice'iis in ment longitudinally of. said-head,":and other portions Within the head adapted tov direct:

said locking means in .its lowest Position against; the rear wall and the, locking wall of,

f 15;" In a'carcoupler, the combination with.

*axdrew head having a pivoted knuckle, of

Tlocking means therefor, said means being 7 restrained against outward movement in locked position by a. portion thereof engage :ing an extension from the knuckle'fsidejof means 5 and lprovidev space *thereunder Iockin 16. 1 na car coupler theco nbination of. a draw headhaving axknuckle anda knuckle 7 I,

opener pivotedthereto,oflockingmeansthere l v for, said meansibeing guided in its vertical moing toivards a wall thereof and dis )osed intermediate'the front and rear faceso the locking means,;said meanswhen raised being'adapte to actuate said knuckle opener to open said Wall to retain' said 'meansin lock;set position, and formed to cooperate with said 20. In] combination,

a corresponding rib. on thehead extending forwardly of said ribfor limiting longitu dinali movement of said guide block guiding thesamein vertical movement, and preventing longitudinal swinging ,oflthe locking block andzzinterference ;with the locksetting function. I v

I a coupler head, a swinging knuckle, a locking'device for said knuckle comprising a locking block and a j ,guide block pivotallyconnected, and a the head and-another portionengaging projection from thefloor'fof said head, said 7 "projection" being adapted' to support said for accumulation of cindersiand thelike which might interfere with the action ofsaid knuckle opener movably mounted vwith respect to the head and'engaged by [said lock;

ing block upon upright movement thereof for opening said knuckle,said engagementefi'ect- V v a posit vem'o'vement of sa dlo'cking block to lock set position.

' In testimonywhereof'I afiiX my signature. I

p {,WILLARDJF;{RICHARDS 'tion by an innerprojection on the headextend knuckle with a wcdgin'g. actiomto. retain said locking means in a position againstcreeping. f

17. In combination, a coupler head, a

,swingilngclmuckleyai locking device'for said I e,'-'and an extension-'onthe' bottom of said device adapted to-engage the rear face of ai lug on 'thebottom of thehead, said face I f sloping: 3 downwardly Y and rearwardly for guiding said hmking device? a ainst their ear I, locked position,"for preventin l q v:

.iknuc guide block 'pivotally connected,'said lockk ing block'being adapted for positionizlgbe: tween the tail of said knuckle and the uard displacementjthereof. A r 18. In comb'nation, a coupler head',.a

SWlIlil lej comprising a locking iblock andfla ng knuckle, a locking device for said.

armside wall er the head,-saidguidelock vbeing formed witha downwardextension, the

1 corner of said extension, away from said 7 guard arm side wall, being bevelled and e'ngaging! spondingly bevelled faceon the head for causing "the guide block and locking blockto move toward the guard arm side 'wall for taking up lost motion. g V, v 19. In combination, a coupler ;head,- at swin ing knuckle, locking means for said formed with 'a' laterally projectingri'b, and 

